“Summing up the tourism year with an artistic programme is difficult,” said Vo Phung, who is in charge of the closing ceremony. “it will present the typical culture of Quang Nam, particularly the province's folklore.”

Among the prominent events will be a number of art exhibitions, such as Hoi An Trong Mat Toi (Hoi An in My Eyes), Thang Canh Quang Nam (Landscape of Quang Nam). For the first time, the art of graffiti will also be celebrated. Six professional artists from Hanoi, HCM City and Hoi An - together with artists from abroad - will have two hours to paint a 200m mural alongside the Hoai River.

During festive days, organizers will highlight the important contributions journalists have made to promoting Quang Nam's culture around the world. There will also be a discussion about the effectiveness of the rent APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Hanoi, and of the likely impact on the business community of Vietnam's entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The provincial People's Committee will also present awards to tourism companies and hotels that have done the most to boost tourism in the province.

To round off the National Tourism Year there will be a grand New Year's party starting around 9.30pm on the night of December 31. There will be songs and dances celebrating Quang Nam's culture, with such titles as My Son Huyen Thoai (Legendary My Son), Hoi Lang (Village Festival), Huong Rung Dat Quang (Quang Nam's Forest Fragrance) that will be performed on a stunning stage featuring, among other things, a traditional wooden barge from the province.

There will also be a number of fashion shows with titles such as Hoi An Ky Uc Thoi Gian (Hoi An – In Retrospect) displaying traditional costumes worn by various ethnic groups in Quang Nam.

A formal ceremony to mark the transfer of the National Tourism Year from central Quang Nam to northern Thai Nguyen will also be held during the count down to the new year which will be broadcast live on VTV1 channel.